► Tuen Mun Town Plaza

 

    The 33,000-meter membrane-free podium deck of the Tuen Mun Town Plaza in Hong Kong incorporates a swimming pool, tennis courts, landscaped areas, skateboard track, and more, demonstrating the effectiveness of the waterproof concrete system. On this complex structure with many diverse rooftop uses, the architect saved eight weeks in design time by not having to detail any membranes. Construction was considerably faster as well, since the design was a simple structural concrete slab with the waterproofing built right in.

 

► Pamela Youde Critical Care Hospital

 

    In Hong Kong, potable water is very expensive. For the Pamela Youde Hospital, designers specified sea water to be used in the air-conditioning system’s cooling towers. The series of Salt Water Cooling Towers was constructed over three floors of hospital space. The bottom of the water containment tank is a waterproof roof

over the Nurse’s quarters. Without maintenance and constant repair/replacement, high-temperature salt water would destroy normal reinforced concrete in a matter of years. How to make the structure maintenance-free for design life? Truly waterproof concrete was the answer. In Hong Kong’s tropical climate, it would be

impossible for the hospital to function properly without constant state of the art air conditioning. Since this is a 24-hour, 365-day-a-year critical facility, NO allowance could be made to undertake structural maintenance in the future.

 

    The concrete floor of the cooling towers forms the waterproof roof of the Nurse's quarters and other hospital areas  three floors beneath. There is no corrosion of the exposed concrete beams and columns.  With truly waterproof concrete, epoxy-coated or stainless steel rebar is not needed-- salts and chlorides do not get into the concrete matrix. Today in 2004, after 18 years of non-stop service/exposure since the cooling towers were turned on, there is absolutely no sign of corrosion. ZERO maintenance has been required on any of the waterproof structural concrete. ZERO leaks have occurred in the Nurse's Quarters beneath the towers, despite constant repair, rectification, and even replacement of all the metal fittings on the cooling towers-- even the stainless steel railings.

 

 

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